1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to an intermediate storage device of an electrostatic coating system, a method for cleaning the same, and a method for coating.
2. Related Art
Conventionally, an electrostatic coating system of voltage block type is known as an electrostatic coating system for vehicle bodies (refer to Patent Document 1). In this electrostatic coating system, electrically-conductive paint is introduced into an intermediate storage device, which is insulated from ground potential, from a paint supply source and is stored temporarily. Thereafter, voltage block is provided by cleaning and drying the supply route that connects the intermediate storage device and the paint supply source, and the intermediate storage device and the paint supply source are insulated electrically. Then, electrostatic coating is applied to the object to be coated by applying high voltage to the electrically-conductive paint and supplying the paint to the coating gun in this state.
Meanwhile, when changing the coating color in the above-described electrostatic coating system, electrically-conductive paint of next coating color is introduced after cleaning the intermediate storage device. At this time, when the cleaning of the intermediate storage device is insufficient, the coating color to be painted next and the coating color last painted are mixed together. In addition, the cycle time lengthens if time is spent on cleaning in order to sufficiently clean the intermediate storage device. Patent Document 1 discloses injecting cleaning fluid into a cylinder chamber where paint is stored from an injection hole which is open to the cylinder chamber to clean the cylinder chamber and discharging from a discharge hole waste fluid that has undergone cleaning.
Patent Document 1: Japanese Unexamined Patent Application, Publication No. 2004-275977